Orioles to host Play Ball Days for Maryland youth
Expanding upon Major League Baseball’s Play Ball campaign, the Orioles will host Play Ball Days, presented by Nike, at local Maryland Title I schools to continue to grow the game of baseball, inspire recreational play in underserved areas, and teach life lessons including teamwork, perseverance, and resilience.
From October 25 through October 29, the Orioles will host the outdoor Orioles-themed Play Ball Days in Title I elementary and middle schools in Baltimore City and their surrounding counties including Beechfield Elementary Middle (Baltimore City), Edgewood Elementary (Harford County), East Salisbury Elementary (Wicomico County), and Oxon Hill Middle (Prince George’s County).
In partnership with SHAPE Maryland and the Orioles Minor League affiliates, located in each community, volunteers will assist with providing children the thrill of hitting a ball, running the bases, and catching pop-ups through fun baseball activities. Through the four different events, the Play Ball Days will impact over 2,200 children. SHAPE Maryland is an organization that works to enhance and promote the health and wellness of citizens of Maryland by providing advocacy, resources, and professional learning opportunities for current and future PreK-12 health and physical educators.
In addition to the physical activities of Play Ball Day, students will enhance their skills in reading, math, and arts through various learning activities. One of the event stations will focus on a brief reading exercise about the history of Negro League Baseball in Maryland. Students will learn about the Baltimore Black Sox and Elite Giants, along with local greats including Leon Day. Additionally, students from various grade levels will learn basic math skills through jersey math. Solutions to math equations will equal the jersey number of current and former Orioles players. Lastly, students will put their skills to the test by drawing and coloring Orioles logos and players. The complete schedule and number of participants is:
Beechfield Elementary/Middle (Baltimore City), Monday, October 25 (610 students)
Edgewood Elementary (Harford County), Wednesday, October 27 (286 students)
East Salisbury Elementary (Wicomico County), Thursday, October 28 (430 students)
Oxon Hill Middle (Prince George’s County), Friday, October 29 (875 students)
Play Ball Days expand upon the Orioles community pillars of Strengthening our Community and Empowering our Youth as the club actively works to provide opportunities to grow the game of baseball and create new generations Oriole fans. For more information on the Orioles community initiatives, visit Orioles.com/Community.